Air-suction cleaning apparatus.



A. H. SQUIER. AIR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLIoA'rIoN- FILED 00T. a, 1908.

930,628. 1 l Patented Aug. 1o, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nvenl'ov attenua,

A. H. SQUIER. AIR SUGTION CLEANING APPARATUS. AIIfLIoATIoN FILED 00123,190s.

930, 628. Patented Aug. 1o. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ysia., 'JMW wfmw k W ARTHUR H. SQUIER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

i AIR-SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Application led October 3, 1908. Serial No. 456,976.

Tov all who/m. it may. concern:

- Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. SQULER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the' county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAir-Suction Cleaning Apparatus, of which the followingf'is aspecification.

My inventlon relates to -improvements in air suction cleaning apparatus,and more particularly to an improved portable mechanism designedparticularly for'wet cleaning, such as scrubbing floors and the like,bulit may also be used for dry cleaning'as we An object of the inventionis to provide improvements of this character Which will, in wetcleaning, supply just the roper amount of water to the scrubbing evice,and which can be operated to remove all the water from thei'loor at thepropertime.

A further object isto so construct an apparatus that in dry cleaning,Water will be commingled with the dust laden air, allaying all dust andprecipitating it to the bot.

tom` of the receiving or suction tank, and preventing the dust passingto the pump.

A further object is to so construct the several parts, that the wateraccumulated Iin the receiving tank can be readily 'returned to the waterchamber, and when the water therein becomes dirty can be ejected andclean water drawn in its place without undue loss of time.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combinations and arrange' ments of partsas will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, isaview partly in sectionillustrating my improvements. Fig. 2, is an enlarged view inlongitudinal section of the scrubbing device on the line of Fig. 2. Fig.3', is a viewin section at right angles'to Fig. 2, and Fig. 4, is a viewof a modiied construction of tank.

1 represents a receiving or suction tank or chamber vsecured upon theopen upper end of a .water chamber 2.' The bottom 3 of tank 1etfectually closes tank 2, forming in elect, a single tank divided by.ahorizontal partition into upper and lower chambers. A pipe 4 connectsthe upperportion 'of chamber 1 with a suitable pump 5 shown small pi eor hose 11 connects with the cock or va ve 22, and extends to thescrubbing device, as will more fully hereinafter appear. This cock orvalve 22 is normally open and is only closed when pipe or hose 11 is tobe disconnected. y

A hoseL connects pipe 6 with a metal ipe 6? having a nozzle 6 at its endand the latter projects into the center of a brush 12. An apron 13 isprovided around thc l brush and another apron 14 about the nozzle 6c,the bristles floor until brush.

The hose or pipe 11 as above stated, eX- tends to the brush andpreferably divides at the brush to discharge the Water in the oppositeends thereof and more evenly distribute the same. A preferred andeconomical structure is to proyide a double woven hose such asillustrated connecting the tank and handle which is formed by pipe 6b.The larger hose 6a serves as a suction pipe nd he smaller hose 11conveys Water to the rus apron 14 being shorter than the o the brushso'as not to touch the unusual pressure is put upon the Valves 15 and 16respectively arel provided I inthe pipes or passages 6b and 11 inconvenient reach of the operator during the scrubbing operation,y sothat he can control the passage of water from and to the tanks as willbe explained.

A .springlpressed double acting valve 17 normally closes an opening inthe bottom 3 of the tankll, and hence normally prevents any water intank 1 from passing to tank 2, and a vent 18 of any preferredconstruction is located at the upper portion of tank or chamber 2 tocompensate for Water drawn therefrom and prevent a vacuum in the chamber2.l v

In themodication illustrated, in Fig. 4, I show an 'ordinary globe valve20 normally closing the passage between tanks' l and 2,

this valve being hand operated from the outside of the tank, and in thismodified construction l may employ a safety valve 21 in pipe l leadingto the ump.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: ln 'the `scrubbingoperation, the

mlve J is turned to close communication between the pipes 6 and 7,butpermit a Afree passage through 6 and 6 into tank 1, the valve 22 isopen and valve 10 preferably closed. The valve 18 is open, and when the?pump 5 begins to create a. suction or partial scrubbing device. Theproper suction can be controlled by turning the valvel so as to drawjust the proper amount of Water to' the scrubbing device.

When the floor isv thoroughly scrubbed by manipulating the j scrubbingdevice over the same, the operator 2. closes valve 16 to shut ofi' theWater, and

then while moving the scrubbing device over the floor, he presses downupon the lSame until the apron 14 rubs on the door, and thesuction ofairA under the apron 14, and through the space inclosed by the apron 14,will be so great that the dirty Water will be sucked through the pipes6c, 6", 6, and 6v into tank 1. When the water accumulates in tank 1 andit is desired to transfer the same to tank 2, the valve 15will beclosed,

The pump o yclear water.

and valve 9 will remain in a position to revent communication betweenpipes 6 an 7.

then exerts such a suction in tank 1, that valve 17 wil'l be drawnupward to permit the water'to pass into tank 2. To blow the dirty waterout of tank 2, valves 18 and 22 are closed and valve 10 turned so as toallow free passage through pipe f?.

Valve 9 is turned so as to allow a free assage between pipes 7 and 6,but to c ose pipeiG, andvalve 15 is Valsoopened. When thevpump isreversed to, exert ressure in tank 1, it will vopen valve 17 an allowthe air to exert a pressure on the dirty water in tank 2, to` force thewater through the pipes 7, 6a, 6", and 6c into the sewer, or else-Awhere, over which the scrubbing device is placed. IVhen the dirty wateris forced out, the operator leaves the 'valvesexactly as they are, andplaces the scrubbing device in The 'pump is reversed and sucks vtheclear water through pipes 6, 6h and 6, into tank 2,the valve 9`beingturned so as to prevent the water being `drawn directly into tank 1, butcompelling it to be drawn down pipe 7 into tank 2.

During the dry `cleaning yoperation in which the water is utilized onlyas a clean. ing medium for the air, valve 18 is opened, valve 10 ispositioned to close pipe 8, but leave the pipe 7 open, the valve 9 1sturned so as to open communication between the pipes 6, 6 and 7, and asuitable cleansing nozzle of any character is connected with the pipe 6.When the pump is o erated to exert a suction in tank 1, the ust-ladenair will be drawn through pipes 6 and 6 and across the upper end of pipe7, causin the water to be drawn up pipe 7 and commingle with thedust-laden air and pass with it into the tank l, where the particles ofwater which have taken up the dust in the air, will be precipitated intothe bottom of tank 1 and the cleansed air will pass to the pump.

Slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement ofparts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do notrestrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself atlibert to make such changes and alterations as airly fall within thespirit and scope of my invention. 4 Having thus described my inventionwha I claim as new and desire to secure by L etters Patent is: v.

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuction chamber, of a water chamber, a valve normally closing a passagebetween said chambers, a suction pipe communicating with said firstmentioned chamber, a pipe connecting said first mentioned pipe with thewater chamber below the water level in the latter, and a pumpcommunicating with said first mentioned chamber. 4

2. In-an apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuction chamber, of a water chamber, a pressure valve normally closingthe passage between said chambers, a suctlon pipe communicating withsaid suction chamber, a water pipe connecting the suction pipe with thewater chamber below the water level of the latter, a pipe` connectingthe water pipe with the water chamber, and three-way valves located atthe junctures of said pipes.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuction chamber of a water chamber communicating with said suctionchamber, a pressurevalve normally closing the' passage between saidchambers, a suction pipe communicating with said suction chamber, awater pipe communicating with the water chamber, a scrubbing device,pipes or hose connecting'the scrubbing device with the ends 'of saidwater and suction pipes,.and valves in said pipes controlling the iow ofwater and air through said pipes.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuction chamber, of a water chamber `below the same, a

- ing valve normally closing vsaid opening, a

suction pipe communicating with said suction chamber, a water pipeconnecting the suction pipe with the water chamber below1 the Waterlevel in the latter, a small pipe connecting the water pipe with thewater chamber, and a valve in s aid water pipe.

5. In an apparatus of the character de? scribed, the combination with awater chamber having an open top, of a suction cham- -ber secured ongtopof the water chamber and closing the latter, a spring-pressed valvenormally closing an opening in the bottom of said suction chamber andclosing communication with the water chamber, a suction pipecommunicatingwith the suction chamber,a water pipe connecting saidsuction ipe with the water chamber below the water evel in the latter, asmall ipe connecting the 'water pipe and water c amber, a pi ecommunicating with saidsmall pipe, a scru bing device, flexible ypipesor hose connecting the scrubbing device with said last mentioned pipeand the suction pipe.

6. In an apparatus ofthe character described, the combination with avsuction tank chambers, a pump communicating with the suction chamber, asuction pipe communicating with the suction chamber, a scrubbing device,a flexible pipe or hose connected to suction nozzle projects.

the scrubbing device and to which said suction pipe is connected, awater pipe communicatirg withthewater chamber, a flexible pi e 'or hoseconnecting said water pipe .with t e scrubbing device, and Valvescontrolling thesuction ofI water to thev scrubbing device and the`passage of water from the latter to/the suction tank.

7. In an'apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuctiontank or chamber, ofl a water chamber, a valve nor:

mally closing communication between said chambers, a pump communicatingwith the .suction chamber, a suction plpe communicating with saidsuction chamber, a'scrubbing` jecting through the brush, a flexible pipeor hose connecting said water discharge pipes with the first mentionedwater pi e, a dej pending apron around the outsl eof the brush, and asecond depending a that portion of thebrush througlh which the Intestimony whereof Ihave signed my name-to this vspecification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: R. H. KRENKEL, 4 S. W. Fos'rEn.'

on around ARTHUR SQUIER.`

